Mail-bag catcher.



No. 882,559. PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908.

D. s. GREEN. MAIL BAG GATGHER.-

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, 1908.

C 2. AL 14 a I; 7 18 Z 1 H} 1 a a 15 l 7 a 6 I 9 WITNESSES IN VENTOR. 97 fIgfL Da /a a G'ffifl 7 "BY 3 a ATTORNEY.

s cm, wuumom. c,

DAVID S. GREEN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 24, 1908.

Application filed January 31, 1908. Serial No. 413,663.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID S. GREEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail- Bag Catchers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in mail-bag catchers; and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a section of a mail-car showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, also showing the dotted position of catcher when swung to engage the mail-bag suspended in position along the track; Fig. 3 is a face view of the catcher set to operating position, one member of the forked stationary jaw being removed; and Fig. 4 is a detail of the ratchet for locking the impact lover.

The object of my invention is to construct a mail-bag catcher which will positively hold the bag after the same has been engaged or caught by the catcher. A further object is to construct a catcher'in which the danger of release of the bag when once caught will be entirely eliminated.

In detail the invention may be described as follows:

Referring to the drawings, O, represents a mail-car on each side of whose door. opening is disposed a socket 1, 1, for receiving the ends of the vertically rotatable shaft 2, the said shaft being formed of two sections rigidly secured to an open frame member 3. The frame is provided at one end at a point between the shaft-sections with a handle 4 by means of which the shaft and frame may be rocked in the sockets 1, 1. The opposite end of the frame is extended into a form of a forked hook 5, which serves as the fixed or stationary jaw for -a cooperating movable or oscillating jaw 6 hinged to the frame 3 at the base of the fork 5. The short arm of the curved lever constituting the movable jaw 6 is coupled by a link 7 to the adjacent arm of an impact lever 8 likewise pivoted to the frame 3 at the base of the jaw 5, the forward end of the impact lever being provided with a balancing head 9. The free end of the rear arm of the lever 8 has pivoted thereto a pawl 10 provided with an arm 11 to which is secured one end of a cable 12 passing through an eye 13 on the frame, the opposite end of said cable being secured to one arm of a trigger or setting lever 14 at a point adjacent to the pivotal axis of the lever. The pawl 10 engages the teeth of a rack arm 15 from which it may be disengaged by a draft on the cable 12 in proper direction. The end of the arm of the trigger 14 to which the cable 12 is coupled has secured thereto one end of a second cable 16 whose opposite end is secured to a staple 17 on the jaw 6. The end of the opposite arm of the trigger is provided with a knob or handle 18.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The manner of suspending the mailbag B is immaterial, that being well understood in the art and forming no part of the present invention, sullice it to say, however, that it is suspended in position to engage the lever S as the car rushes onward. The trigger 14 being swung to the position shown by the full lines in Fig. 3, it follows that the cord or eable.12 will be drawn upon so as to release the pawl 10 from the ratchet 15 (Fig. 4), the lever 8 being at the same time oseil lated in proper direction to allow for the opening of the aw 6. The mail-bag striking the impact lever 8 forces it to the dotted position (Fig. 3) whereupon, (by the link eonnection 7) the jaw 6 is forced toward the fixed jaw and thereby closes about the mailbag, any accidental opening or release of said movable jaw being prevented, since in the latter movement of the parts the pawl 10 rides over the teeth of the rack-arm 15 and locks the parts against displacement (left hand dotted position Fig. 4). The bag thus caught may again be released by the mailman by a manipulation of the trigger 14 in proper direction. hen the catcher is not in use it hangs suspended vertically (Fig. 1) and when in use it is oscillated to horizontal position as shown by dotted illustration in Fi 2.

When the bag is gripped, it is virtually held not only between the jaws 5, 6, but between the lever S and jaw 6, as shown in dotted position of the parts in Fig. 3, the lever .serving as a means of locking the movable jaw against displacement, once it has closed over the bag.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a mail-bag catcher, a suitable member adapted to be swung in the path of suspension of the bag, a fixed jaw, a movable jaw, an impact lever disposed in proximity to the aws, intermediate connections between the movable jaw and lever for opening the former upon a movement of the impact lever in one direction, the lever being actuated by impact against the bag, whereby the movable aw is driven toward the fixed jaw and caused to close over the bag, substantially as set forth.

2. In a mail-bag catcher, a suitable member adapted to be swung in the path of sus pension of the bag, a fixed jaw carried by said member, a movable jaw pivotally mounted in connection with the fixed jaw, a hinged impact lever adjacent to the movable jaw, a link connection between the lever and movable jaw, the latter being oscillated toward the fixed aw upon impact of the bag with the impactlever, and means for locking the lever after impact, substantially as set forth.

3. A mail-bag catcher comprising a member adapted to be swung in the path of suspension of the bag, a fixed jaw carried by said member, a movable jaw pivotally mounted in connection with the fixed aw, a hinged impact lever adjacent to the movable jaw, a link connection between the lever and movable jaw, a rack carried by the catcher, a pawl on the impact lever engaging said rack, a trigger lever mounted on the frame, a cord or cable having one end secured to one arm of said trigger adjacent the pivot thereof, the opposite end being coupled to the pawl, a second cord or cable having one end secured to the same trigger-arm and its opposit-e end secured to the movable jaw, the parts operating substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID S. GREEN.

/Vitnesses EMIL STAREK, Jos. A. MIoHEL. 

